Impossible
by tearthgrrl
Summary: Yes…read as Prince Taka and Future Matriarch Shenzi pave their way to disaster. It is a rocky road, but it is their road to travel.
1. Chapter 1

…Someone shoot me. Seriously, it was one thing to conceive the Nuka/T pairing, and another to find the Scar/Simba pedophilia thing hilarious, but **this…**

Pairing these two characters goes against everything I believe in—and yet, here I am, writing about it. And… (sigh) enjoying it. That's why I gave this fic such a name, that and that's how likely it will be that I'll do this again.

Curse Jagabor, and curse Kovukono for turning me over to the dark side. I hope you two are happy! My hyena fans, I apologize greatly. (sobs)

May include a few OC's, as a warning if you're not familiar with my work.

Now enjoy this lion-dominated piece of-_(static ensues)_

* * *

Who knows how the mysteries of the world are explained. I'm sure I've heard Rafiki jabbering about it a time or two, but was too occupied in my own lack of a life to notice. Maybe there's just things that we don't know about but find out later—like when we're dead. Or maybe there's this big group of people chosen to withhold such information from the general public. Or maybe there's things that just happen because they happen. Whatever it is, I know one thing is definite:

My dad is going to **kill** me if I'm late for dinner again.

"TAKA!"

Speak of the devil—I could feel my heart pounding as I bounded in the direction of Priderock. My four legs were killing me, but I knew this mild discomfort was child's play compared to what Dad would do if I was tardy.

It's not my fault I've almost missed eating with the family a time or two; in fact it's sort of their fault.

Long story, so allow me to summarize: Dad's resented me since birth for not looking like an exact duplicate of him, unlike my twin brother Mufasa. Yes, we're twins—even though he has a red mane and I have a black one; his eyes are gold and mine are green; his pelt is also gold while mine is a light tan. Obviously I take after Mom, whose pelt is brownish and whose eyes are also green.

Back to topic—due to Father's disappointment of me he once took a liking to beating me senseless on a regular basis, a procedure which he still executes every now and then, but not as often as he used to since 10 years later—out of desire to survive with all my limbs—I _finally_ ventured out in search of a new home. …But since I'd have to be able to survive for about two weeks using nothing but my bare paws to feed and fend myself—and I'm…kind of at the shallow end of the gene pool when it comes to brute strength—I decided to see if any _nearby_ haven was available.

This is what causes the larger half of my problems. Granted, the Elephant Graveyard isn't exactly a haven, but at least there's no temper-oriented father to continuously pummel me like it's just some old, chronic habit. And despite the reputation _my_ family's bestowed upon them over the years, the inhabitants—hyenas—are actually pretty decent. I mean sure there's a few violent scraps here and there but it's mostly over food, which is understandable: it _is_ a graveyard. Now, allow me to introduce my three main companions:

Well first, there's Ed. 15 years old, nice guy, likes to laugh…at anything…and everything. Likes to make jokes, knows a few good ones too…it's just a tad hard to comprehend them. Ed can also speak in grunts and tones of laughter. Often mistaken for an animal that is mentally impaired, Ed is actually as bright as the rest of us…he just has trouble focusing his unusually bulbous eyeballs…as well as keeping his abnormally large tongue inside his mouth.

Moving on, my second chum, Banzai, is 16 and an all-around nice guy…when he's not trying to bash your skull in. He's not hostile or threatening, just has a bit of an anger issue. But if kept on his good side—which isn't _too_ difficult—he makes good company. Enjoys joking around as well, only _his_ speech is _much_ easier to understand…most of the time. Banzai is bilingual—Spanish being second nature to him—though he doesn't find many a situation that calls for it.

Being one out of the only three males in my pride, my father—who's busy running a kingdom all day, and brother—who's busy _learning_ to run a kingdom all day, are usually too preoccupied to knock about the Pridelands with me. So the company at home is essentially female-oriented. Come to think of it, Banzai and Ed are about the _only_ male friends I have. …Come to think of it, I don't believe I would even be mingling with Father if he had the time anyway.

I mentioned having three companions, didn't I? Well, the third one is also 15 but female. Her name is…_truly_ unique: Shenzi-Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena—we call her Shenzi of course. What can I say about her? Well, for one, she's sharp as they get—with the mind _and_ the claws; literally a force to be reckoned with. As the future matriarch of her clan, she must be, don't you agree? There was a time I thought Banzai was scarier, now I just pity the soul impudent enough to infuriate _her_.

Aside from being a feminine fatality, she's also quick-witted and humorous. We share much of the same interests, and I must say it's relieving to know at least _one_ animal outside Priderock comprehends my accented vocabulary. She too has an accent though _greatly_ different than mine.

Where was I? Ah yes, the larger half of my problems. Well, for starters father has never approved of my association with the "undesirables". And quite a bit of rumors have been spreading about me ever since my connection with the hyenas became public—I'm insane, I have a death wish, my mother sired me from a male hyena, if you paint me with spots I'll look just like one, etc.

And of course with their home being a safe distance away from mine, I haven't exactly been the most present prince. Which brings me to the situation I'm in now. They don't really care if I skip breakfast or miss lunch, but dinner's kind of a special occasion, one Mother prefers we all share as a family. She understands if I miss, Dad on the other hand…

Seems out of all the family he has, _I'm_ the one he wouldn't mutilate for. …I'm the mutilate-ee.

My pride's home now visible in the distance, I picked up speed, passing the halfway mark; a familiar-looking, _enormous_ tree. Not long after, I heard that illustrious yet painful chant echoing through the savanna. Just before that blue-butted primate dangled from one of the branches by his tail, grinning at me like a frightened chimpanzee.

"O-ho! Late again I see." He laughed, starting to swing back and forth. I frowned. He chuckled, holding that stick in both his palms. "Off with de hyenas again, eh?"

I panted, trying to keep up my pace. "Can't you see I'm trying to keep myself from being maimed?!"

That snake-oil-peddling shaman just tittered, swaying to and fro without a care in the world. I ignored him by now, too busy worrying over what I'll get _this_ time. I passed right underneath him as he immediately swung on top of the branch.

"I'd considah stopping to smell de roses!" He cackled from behind me. I rolled my eyes—what a nut. "You may find tings turning diffahrent _very_ soon!"

"That's what I'm trying to prevent!" I called back without stopping, images of a crippled version of myself flashing through my head.

"De Great Spirits tell me dey have big changes in store!" He laughed again. "De whole kingdom will know it!"

Yeah, and when did you find this out exactly? "Accidental" inhalation of another one too many "potions"? I didn't have time for his hallucinogenic-induced riddles, I had a dinner-date to attend to and soon after be pummeled at.

But just as I felt the soft, leafy foliage beneath my paws, I noticed…a change in the Pridelands' aura. As I glanced at my surroundings, a waft of air caught my breath; I could smell how the scent changed, and it burned my nostrils.

Before I could even recognize anything the scenery was morphing right in front of my eyes. For a minute I thought that baboon dropped some kind of concoction on me and now _I_ was having hallucinations. But, suddenly it feels as though everything was dissolving around me; the air becomes thick, and it's hard to move.

I can breath, but every time I inhale I keep detecting new aromas that vanish as fast as they came. And pretty soon, much to my fear, I can't detect any scents at all! The air smells vacant and barren. When the world seemed to stop spinning I groaned, my brain still circulating in my head even though my body had stopped running long ago. My vision is somewhat blurred from dizziness, but when it's finally over, I look back at Rafiki.

…At least, what's standing in the place of Rafiki. Now I just see some old man with a long white beard and a red cloak; he's smiling at me with this satisfied look on his face. Wait a second…old man? This is the Serengeti—there's cheetahs and jackals and hyenas and well, _my_ kind. So how the heck could an old man make it out he…

I look down; the ground is much further than it used to be, like I'm standing on a short cliff, but the environment hasn't changed. I finally realize I'm only standing on two legs; I glance up to see whatever I'm using to support myself but…there's nothing there. I'm completely erect. I glance down to see if my forepaws are still there…fingers…no claws…_thumbs_?

That's when I realize…

I am no longer lion; I am human.

…And I'm still late for dinner.

Bolting as fast as my back legs could support me—surprisingly well—I made my way towards home…now a palace. As I ran faster, I took in the surroundings around me: what was once the Pridelands now appears to be a suburban area only fancier. I glance up at home and see large golden gates opened to a huge, lush lawn with numerous flower beds, hedges and a giant, ivory-white entrance with pillars and door handles made of gold.

…Where are all these words coming from? I've never even heard of "suburban" or "gates" or "door handles made of gold."

Hoping to get to the bottom of this, I tried to get inside. Instinct must've taken over because I'd have no idea just to grip the handles and pull if I wasn't on an adrenaline high. …High? How can adrenaline get up in the air? I shook my head, this wasn't the time.

When ran inside I found myself in a large room, with a red carpet—never heard of carpet before, though when I allow my brain to tell me what it is I almost laugh at the simplicity. The floor covering lead to several hallways leading to many other rooms. A giant chandelier—don't know where I picked that up, either—hung over from the ceiling—or that—reflecting glistening images on nearly every wall.

…Father was also waiting for me when I came in. …At least I recognized him as my father, which frankly I found surprising; he looks only faintly like before, wearing a plain white wool sweater with a crest of Priderock on it, and black pressed pants with shiny black shoes. He's standing on two legs as well, so I figure that must be what I look like now…only much less muscular. Hey, I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool, remember? Father's mane—I'm suddenly compelled to call it "hair"—is red, which is the same, but even though it's long it doesn't even touch his neck—it's all hanging from the back down to below his shoulder discs. His eyes are…scary—ok, they're gold, same as before—and his fur is gone; replaced with some smooth-looking pinkish-white stuff. I wondered if he recognized me.

He just stood there with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and jaw tightened; which felt strangely familiar. Familiar because…I soon got the aura that I did not want to be here. He _definitely_ recognized me.

"Late again, are you? That's the 8th time this month!" He shouted, taking a hostile step in my direction. I instinctively step back, but only seconds before I see a second two-legged creature approaching. He holds a nearly identical resemblance to my father, then I realize to my astonishment that it's my brother Mufasa.

"Taka?" His eyes are wide with bewilderment, and had I not been so panicky myself, I would've chuckled at my brother's appearance—he's even _dressed_ like Father. Same red "hair", same golden eyes, and same crested wool sweater, although his pants are light green and his shoes white.

Other than his lower attire, the only physical difference between them is that my brother's face is kinder, less violent toward me. If anything he seems concerned about me. At the sound of his "golden child's" voice, Father turns around. I see his eyes grow wide.

"Mufasa?" He seems thunderstruck, dazed…and then utterly euphoric. "My boy! Would you look at you!" He smiles, walking around my brother with a smile of joy growing wider by the minute. "You're the spitting image of me! If only your mother were here to see this!"

"Someone call me?" A familiar, womanly voice spoke. Each of us turned to see a tall woman with dark brown hair and green eyes draw near. Almost instantly I recognized her as Mother. She was about an inch taller than me but must've been at least 2 inches below Dad and half an inch below Mufasa. She wore a dark brown, V-neck sweater (crest present of course), with a long, flowing white skirt; her left ring finger held a wedding band with _quite_ a good-sized diamond. And when she turned to look at me, I saw she kept that same, motherly smile I'd grown to know as my only sign of paternal affection.

The somewhat relieving moment was quickly ruined when Father turned Mufasa towards Mother so she could get a full-view of him. "Look at us!" He smiled proudly, putting an arm around Muffy's shoulders as he glances away, an unenthusiastic smile present on his face. "If he was a bit taller you wouldn't tell the difference, would you?"

Mother stepped up to Mufasa, gently stroking a front lock of his hair. "I think I'd know my own son from my husband, regardless of how much they're similar." I let out a silent breath of relief, feeling safe enough to walk away and explore the manor; perhaps with the attention now on Mufasa, my slight tardiness would be forgotten.

"TAKA!"

Or not.

I cringe, stopping to turn and reluctantly face Father, who's glaring at me poisonously once more. Well, you can't put these things off forever. I let out another silent breath, thinking, _"Let's get this over with."_

He advances on me yet again, snarling, "Don't think I've forgot about you!" I can't help but step back. Surely he wouldn't try something with Mother around, would he? …I desperately pray so as he backs me against the wall. Just as I feel I'm about to lose consciousness, Mother's voice breaks the tension.

"Dear, are you not aware that we're not particularly the same?" She asked.

"Of course I am!" Father replies, the anger felt towards me fueling his voice. Mother remains calm despite his temper—I don't really think I've seen her _not _calm.

"Then don't you think we should go check on the others to make sure they're safe?" She suggests.

Father doesn't seem persuaded; he points to me, attention still locked on Mother. "Taka here was neck-deep in hyenas, and he's as strong as a dead mouse!" Ouch. "If he's made it home alright, who's to say anyone else hasn't?!"

Mother kept persistent. "Maybe someone's been injured in the confusion. Maybe Taka _did_ find his way here unharmed but he's more cool-headed than many of the other residents—we should find out what's happened to our girls." Leave it to Mother to _compliment_ me while giving a logical explanation.

Father looks aside for a moment, chewing this over. I see his jaw tighten—not out of consideration, but of resentment for letting me go unscathed. He eventually groans under his breath, before looking back up at Mother. "Alright, fine. Let's go find them."

"King Ahadi!"

As if on cue, three young ladies rush down the tall arch of stairs leading from the middle of the lobby. The one in front—dark brown hair and ruby eyes—I recognize as Sarabi; a brown skirt going down to her knees, a peach blouse, and brown loafers with red roses beaded into the design. Though the best evidence to guarantee it was her, was that the first person she even glanced at was Mufasa.

The second one—the one who called my father's name—was Sarafina. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a white long-sleeved blouse with…a few buttons left unbuttoned (why I'd find that interesting I'm not quite sure), a long flowing blue skirt and white sandals that fastened on. Somewhat tomboyish and still feminine.

The last one…needs to lighten up her load on the make-up; too much eye-liner, too much mascara, and a truckload of fire-red lipstick. She has blonde hair and red eyes, and is wearing a dark blue shirt, no collar, and a few buttons are also left unbuttoned…for some reason that doesn't interest me as much as Sarafina's. She's wearing denim shorts purposely torn-off at the ends, and black flip flops. By the way, that girl is named Zira. And at first glance her mood towards everybody is blasé, though when she sees _me_ her eyes widen.

"Taka!" She smiles. "You're alright!" Much to my surprise she hugs me the second she gets down here, the other two having made it as well. Sarabi is by Mufasa, who's placating her worried look with an assuring smile. Sarafina approaches my parents, obviously to get some answers on the situation.

All of their hair is short, as is my mother's, and barely exceeds their jaw line. But I suppose it's not to be unexpected, lionesses never had long hair in the first place.

"Sarafina," my Mother smiles, "good to see you and these two are just fine. …Aren't you?"

She waves it off, "Oh, we're alright, thank-you. We just got a bit confused when we suddenly started walking on all-_two_." She grins.

"Where is the rest of the pride?" My Father asks "nobly".

"The others? Don't worry, they're safe. They just chose us to go see what was happening."

"They _forced_ you to go alone?" Mother's eyes widened.

"Well, actually," Sarafina corrected, "Sarabi and I volunteered." She turns to me jokingly, "I think they only picked Zira just to get rid of her." My parents continue to question her about the rest of the pride, whilst Mufasa and Sarabi reconnect after the grueling five minutes apart by holding each other.

…Zira meanwhile, still hasn't stopped hugging me—I'm unsure of what to do…

"Um," I begin, grabbing her arms to pry her off me, "it's…very nice to see you're not dead." Which is about as sincere as I can put it. She's a tad resilient but eventually lets me go…still, she grins wider and snatches my hand in both her palms, basically crushing it. I have to hold in a grunt of pain as she, oblivious to my discomfort, begins to rant.

"See I just _knew_ you'd make it back in one piece! Sarabi and Sarafina were such worrywarts about the whole situation, and the whole pride would've been in a panic if not for me! So they sent me to accompany them to try to find you! They couldn't stop babbling about who or what could be hurt but I remained calm about the whole thing! And when we finally found you and your family we heard enough when we were just coming down the stairs and I _completely_ don't agree with your dad at all: you're not strong as a dead mouse!"

"Well thanks, that is nice to hear." At least somebody thought so…my hand is now numb.

"And Zira," came my father's voice. We both turned to see his eyes narrowed not at _me_ but _her_. "Where did you get such deplorable excuse for attire? You are to change straight away; I'll be alerting Zazu to incite a dress code immediately. You're to wear a skirt from now on." He finished, apparently maintaining a strict reign as his top priority.

Zira's eyes shifted their way to the floor, a somewhat pout on her face; she finally releases my hand, saying reluctantly, "Yes my king." And without another word was led back upstairs by Sarafina and Sarabi, who departed only after kissing Mufasa goodbye.

"Well, aside from our new…exteriors," I hear Mother say, "everything seems to be in order _here_."

"Meaning…?" Father trails off.

I don't have to turn around to see Mother rolling her eyes, but smiling, "Perhaps we should check to see if the surrounding kingdom is as fortunate."

"Ah, yes! Of course! Just as I thought." Father proclaimed, and I hear two pairs of footsteps leaving the room, until one of them suddenly halts.

"Taka?" Mother is calling me. "Will you and Mufasa be alright on your own?"

Mufasa laughs, "Mother, we're 17 now. And with Taka's brains here to help me out, what's the need to worry?"

Mother chuckles, "I suppose you're right. But do be careful, we may not be out of the woods yet. …Though it looks as though your tardy's been pardoned, Taka." A quiet laugh, before a lone pair of footsteps depart into the hall.

I was engulfed in all my surroundings—Priderock hadn't even _resembled_ what it looks like now, and yet, it's still breath-taking. I begin to make my way over to one of the tributary halls when I stop, having passed something that caught my eye. I take a few steps back and nearly gawk at the site before me.

I stopped, I looked in a mirror:

I didn't even know what a mirror was until then, or its purpose, but it's overpowering—it was like staring back into solid water, and for the first time I see my actual appearance. As I stared back at the two-legged creature facing me in the pane, it finally sank in that my whole world had changed:

As I mentioned, my home is more than just a home now—it's a palace. And that's not some metaphorical term for how much my home means to me, it was actually an enormous, dazzling, high-society _mansion_; with a golden emblem of Priderock on _everything_. There were columns and long arches above every door, large staircases, and the entire place was the color of gold.

I took another look in the mirror, and noticed my new features in detail—same old green eyes, but my fur was now replaced with that same pale-ish white/pink stuff which is apparently called—I let my brain enlighten me—…skin. My mane was shorter than Dad and Mufasa's—like always—and barely reached my neck. I was wearing…_clothes_. Clothes? Clothes, that's a weird word—nothing I've heard before. And yet I know it. Mufasa comes up beside me, and his reaction to his own reflection is not much different than mine.

"It's overwhelming isn't it?" I hear him quietly breath, touching the glass with his fingertips. I can't help but agree. I look down at my attire and see I'm in black shoes, black pants, and a dark blue long-sleeve with a crest of Priderock on the top right corner…and then I realize something: my family and I are the only ones adorned in our home's former image; the same mark was nowhere to be found on Sarabi, Sarafina or Zira. …It's a symbol of royalty. Well, at least it will be much easier to distinguish me as a part of _my own family_, unlike before; muscular and red-maned related to scrawny and black-maned? It was shocking to every newcomer our kingdom had.

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I move on to more pleasant ones, such as if my three companions are alright. And suddenly I remember Father's earlier statement—"neck-deep in hyenas". Technically, I was halfway _away _from the Elephant Graveyard when this happened, so I scarcely even know what the hyenas look like by now, let alone my three best friends. …So you could understand why I felt compelled to check on them. I turned to Mufasa.

"I'm going back to the Graveyard." I tell him, walking to the door. His eyes widen as he quickly follows me, grabbing my arm before I can even reach the welcome mat.

"Wait a minute," he warns, "don't you think that could be risky? I mean everything's so…_different_ now. What if you get lost? Or what if you _do_ make it to the Elephant Graveyard—or at least what's replaced it—and the hyenas don't recognize you? What if they're still hyenas and they try to _eat _you? You'll be outnumbered!"

Mufasa's strong, but he's only holding my arm, not gripping it. I slide it free and look him in the eye. "Listen, it's nothing I haven't done before. And if everything's the same aside from appearance, I should make it back ok. And if I _don't_ come back, well…Father won't really care and he's the only one who matters around here."

"_Mother_ will care," Mufasa counters, "and Dad complies with _her_."

I reach out to the door handle, still looking at my brother. "Ok, how about this? If I promise to come back in one piece before sundown, will you let me go?"

Mufasa breathes heavily, shaking his head. "Taka, that's just _it_, I don't _know _if you'll come back in one piece… Let me come with you." He suddenly offers.

My eyes widen: _bad_ idea. Those hyenas don't trust royals, the only reason I'm an exception is 1—I'm a weakling, so even a _male_ hyena could take me down (male hyenas are the weaker gender of their species), and 2—I used to bring food a lot, so I've somewhat gained their confidence, and 3—I'm friends with the matriarch's daughter, plus the matriarch herself seems to take a liking to me. _Mufasa_ coming on the other hand, wouldn't be the best idea: with Ahadi the Tyrant's kid (well, the one he _cared _about) wondering in there, it'd be a safe bet that some of the residents would get…ideas. Ideas that could involve hostage negotiations to let them back into the Pridelands. And I wouldn't be able to stop them if they tried…plus when Mufasa got home safely—I say "when" because Dad will do anything for him…unlike me—I'd get blamed for his captivity and be in for a world of hurt.

So I tried my best to talk him out of it. Eventually he let out a deeper sigh and complied. "Alright, but _sundown_ and no later. And if you're not back I _will_ come to get you."

I nodded and said, "Thanks," prior to opening the door. I look back one more time before going out, and see my brother rubbing his chin, staring hard at the ground. I pause for a moment out of curiosity. "What is it?"

"…Y'know what, Dad mentioned finding _Zazu_ for a new law earlier. I'm gonna go see if I can find _him_."

I nod again, smirking. "Then it looks like we'll both have our own search-and-possibly-rescue mission."

He laughs, as do I, and we part to go our separate ways—he to venture deeper into the mansion, and I into the outside world.

* * *

It's hard to tell where the heck I've wondered off to; Mufasa was right, all this change in landscaping's confused me. And to top it all off, I've lost my sense of direction _back_ to the house as well. I sigh: I am in a _very_ deep mess. From what I can tell I've journeyed to a concrete wasteland, just numerous cracks and outcroppings as any sign of life.

Since leaving the Pridelands I've observed the change in surroundings: first, there's _my_ home, which is in the heart of this suburban-like, wealthy town, and all the houses surrounding us are full of what used to be other lions. Some ways away from there, is an average-looking town with people who…used to be our food; zebras, wildebeests, heck even meerkats and warthogs. And when they saw _me_ the first thing they did was scatter from the area, though instead of bellows and grunts, now it was all just screaming. …Strange, none of them even looked appetizing anymore. Moving on, when you pass the average looking town there's the city, with a bunch of café's and shops and numerous other attractions.

Then—which is the place I'm at—there's just this big slab of concrete bordering our kingdom, with hardly _any_ life in it. In fact it's almost as sad-looking as the rows upon rows of slum-looking houses just up ahead.

…I mentally kick myself for being such an idiot.

Rushing inside the dull and depressing town, I quickly monitor my surroundings; it may be a district now but it's _still_ the Elephant Graveyard, and my guard needs to stay up. Since everything's been morphed into something else now, I quickly figure out what these slum homes used to be—actually they made the elephant skeletons look _good_. I nearly shudder to think what's replaced the explosive geysers as I make my way deeper into the place.

Other than the human-based touch, the Elephant Graveyard doesn't look all that different. Same amount of dark and dreary, same dense atmosphere…hey, there were even dead bodies here and there!

…Uh-oh.

I slowly back away from the corpse lying in the gutter, nearly jumping as I felt something from behind. Oh, it was just a brick wall. My breathing gets heavy with agitation; I need to get out of here, but the urge to find my friends is battling my body's stimulus to danger. Nervously I round a corner, headed down a dark alleyway. Ok, that was probably stupid, but having never been in a life-or-death predicament such as this I wasn't so sure what to do; except for_not_ going back in the direction where that dead body lay.

Fortunately I come out of the other side of the alley to find a large intersection of houses. …I guess I should stop calling them houses seeing as how houses that _stay_ houses aren't made of ancient plywood and don't have old sheets for doors.

I warily step out into the open, calling out their names. "…Shenzi? Banzai? Ed?"

"_Taka_?" Come two voices. I almost jump out of my skin but look into an alleyway across from mine to see three people huddled together in it, all looking at me. I recognize their voices and am slightly relieved they don't sound hurt.

…It's weird though—their eyes aren't glowing even though the alley is dark. Though I suppose that'd be no different than assuming I still have claws and walk on four legs.

I take a step toward them. "Are you three…alright?"

"Sheesh! You changed man!" Came a familiar, slightly gruff tone. Out steps Banzai, once standing protectively in front of Shenzi, who was guarding Ed. I had to laugh as they stepped out; as if unaware to the fact they now walked on two legs too.

"Look who's talking." I replied, getting an eye-full of them.

Shenzi had brown eyes, long black hair, and a red-and-white horizontal-striped…low cut, tank top. Her pants were baggy and too big for her, a black belt scrunching the waistband together to fit her abdomen. She had on brown, gently-used shoes.

Banzai also had brown eyes, with short, ruffled hair, and a blue and white jersey with one of the hems of the sleeves ripped. His jeans were baggy but fit his waist without a belt, and he wore grayish-white also gently-used shoes.

All three of them looked like they'd just raided a charity giveaway.

Their skin was…darker.

Their fur had been darker so I guess that makes sense; aside from that I couldn't really see any differences between us (with the skin, not the fur). Banzai's skin _was_ a tad lighter than Shenzi and Ed's, not by much but noticeable. I wonder why.

Of course the most unique one of us was Ed: …he didn't have a mouth. Oh yeah, and he had short hair like Banzai's and wore a smudged-up white t-shirt and blue jeans…but all of us were mostly focused on the mouth—or lack of it.

I was surprised to see both Shenzi and Banzai staring at him. "Wait a second, you mean you two didn't notice this until _now_?"

Shenzi glanced at me, "When you lose two legs and sprout thumbs, you tend to neglect that your best friend's lost a mouth."

"The thumbs were a biggie." Banzai added.

Ed stared at us, confused at why we were staring at _him_. His head was tilted sideways, his eyes curious. He looks at Shenzi; probably figures she can explain it better to him.

She reads his mind and looks aside, unsure, then eventually glances back at him and asks, "Ed, do you feel…different?" He looks at us and shrugs, raising an eyebrow in perplexity. Shenzi glances away and I can tell she's trying to find a good way to put this. Suddenly Banzai steps in front of her.

"Lemme try somethin'." He says, then smiles at his friend. "Hey Ed?" Ed tilts his head again in acknowledgement. "Do this." Banzai opens his mouth wide and chops his teeth together. Ed raises an eyebrow again, possibly a bit weirded-out at his friend's antics, but rolls his eyes and puts his hands on his hips, looking at us with an expression that says "Do you take me for some kind of idiot?"

All three of us stare, unsure of what to think. "Wait, so…you _know_ you don't have a…?" Shenzi trails off. Ed's eyes crinkled for some reason and he nodded frantically.

"So…does it hurt?" Banzai asked. Ed shook his head, his eyes crinkling again; I wonder why they keep doing that.

Shenzi blinked, and out of curiosity, touched her fingertips to the skin where Ed's mouth _would've_ been. He jolted back at first, worrying us, then paused a moment. He looked at Shenzi, took her hand, and pointed to the place she touched.

She stared, until guessing, "…You want me to do it again?" Ed nodded, leaning forward for emphasis. Unsure at first, she gradually reached her hand up and gently pressed her fingers to his oral area again: this time Ed shook. All three of us immediately stepped forward—afraid there was something the matter. But as we approached he quickly put his hands up, gazing upward at us with this…familiar though strange look on his face; his eyes are scrunched and curved downward. There's something I know about that expression, yet I can't put my finger on it.

It finally hits me—the shaking, the constant crinkling of his eyes: Ed is laughing. I'd hardly recognized it without the mouth (obviously). He stops shaking, his eyes are still arched but slightly open, and he leans over to grab this rock with a sharpened edge lying on the ground. He turns to the concrete wall in the alley, and scratches something onto it. Afterward, he points to what he just wrote eagerly. Shenzi walks up to it as Banzai and I look on curiously.

"What's it say?" He asked.

"He wrote: '_That tickles._'" She answered.

Hmmm, so it seems what was once Ed's mouth is now replaced by a bundle of nerves. Mind-boggling. …Still, I can't help but wonder how he's going to eat.

"So, have any other physical changes occurred since the commencement of this alternation of universe?" I asked.

"…B-wha?" Banzai's jaw is half-open.

"Nah, just Ed." Shenzi answers, before suddenly get a strange look on her face and turning towards me. "Wait a minute…"

I glance around, vague of what she wants. "What?"

"You just left not one hour ago so you wouldn't be late for dinner."

I laugh slightly, "Oh, that. Well, obviously there was a change in plans."

"So why come back?"

"…Well," I rub the back of my neck, "I was concerned about you guys, was all. Afraid maybe one or all of you might've got hurt."

"Aw, all that for us?" Banzai locks his arm around my neck and gives me a noogie. I protest, both of us laughing, as he keeps ahold of me. See I told you a male hyena could take me down—though since this is Banzai we're talking about, he wouldn't (normally) lay a paw…er, hand on me. Plus, hey, Banzai's pretty tough—Ed and me might be a match though.

Shenzi rolls her eyes and Ed "laughs" again, and after awhile Banzai lets me go. I see Shenzi glance at me. "Spendin' the night?"

"Sorry, promised my brother I'd be back by dark. Or else he'll tear this place asunder just by looking for me."

Banzai laughs, stretching his arm. "That's brotherly love for ya."

I smile, "Well it's not like they'll be bodies in the streets." Suddenly an image from minutes earlier clicks into my head and my expression quickly fades. I look at my companions soberly.

"Say um, are you three in any trouble?"

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed each stare at me like I'm crazy…like I'm pre-morphed Ed.

"_Trouble_?" Shenzi says. "Yeah, um…" I'm unclear of how to explain it, so eventually I just motion for them to follow me, turning around and say, "This way."

I lead them to the place I first wondered when I got here, and pointed to the man lying face-down on the street.

"Oh." Shenzi and Banzai chorused, looking relieved.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Banzai stated. I stared. "Are you serious? A dead man is lying out in the street and you're-"

"He ain't _dead_," Shenzi cut in, "he's drunk." Oh. …Wait, what?

"Drunk?" I said.

Banzai…and Ed, each snickered as Shenzi peevishly blew a strand of hair from her eye. …It looked sort of cute. …Wait, _what_?

"Yeah, see, when this…whatever it was happened, some group of males and females found this huge crate of booze and went to town." She glanced down at the unconscious being apathetically and nudged him with her foot. "He must've been the first of 'em."

I let my mind register and tell me what this "booze" was—booze: a slang term for alcohol. Alcohol: an intoxicating liquid consumed at festivities, celebrations, or casually; can cause drunkenness, vomiting or even death if consumed excessively.

Shenzi glanced back up at me, "Banzai," she turned to scowl at him momentarily, "being the _smart_ guy he is, took a swig or two."

Banzai cackled, then looked at me as well. "Dude, you ain't _lived_ 'til you tried some of this stuff!"

Shenzi visibly cringed in disgust. "There should be an age limit on that stuff. To keep idiots like _Banzai_ from usin' it."

"What happened, exactly?" I asked.

"Most of them either passed out or threw up, and the rest are either at home with injury or hangover."

I glanced at Banzai. "So how come you're alright?"

"Moderation." He answered smugly—which is about the smartest word I've heard him use. "Shenzi took a sip too." He stated.

"I took a _taste_!" She immediately countered, glowering at him. "And it wasn't even that good, made me wonder why you liked it so much."

"Gives ya a buzz." He smirked. While we're so profoundly deep in our conversation, Ed, I notice, is busy counting on his fingers. Probably just to pass the time.

"Would I like it?" I ask Banzai. "If there was any left I'd _give_ some to ya." He answered.

"Oh no you don't!" Shenzi interjected, pointing at me, "He's the only one here who still has enough brain cells to _turn down_ that stuff!"

"So you, wouldn't recommend it?" I asked her. She crooks a brow at me. "Let's just say if I ever saw _you_ drinking it, I'd officially lose _all_ faith in males." Her answer nearly makes me laugh, and I see Banzai—bored with her rant—leaving to go horse around with Ed. I glance down at her; I forgot to mention Shenzi's two inches lower than me, Banzai's half an inch lower and Ed's one inch lower.

"So I'm masculinity's only lifeline?" She sighs and, tired of standing I guess, makes herself comfy on the lid on top of a trashcan. It almost pains me to see them living in these conditions—I'm reminded of how shocked I was when I first saw their lifestyle in the former Graveyard. She looks up at me and says,

"You're about the _only_ guy I've seen with more than half a brain."

"…I should take that as a compliment, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Thought so."

"Taka! I thought I'd find you here!" I turned to see an eager, red-lipped girl with blonde hair and dark-brimmed eyes. "When Mufasa said you'd left all by yourself for here I-"

Two screams, and I'm pushed aside. I hear a couple beatings, before a large thud. I look back to where I once stood and there lay my fellow Pridelander, face-down on the road. I glanced up to see Banzai with a 2x4 in his hand, Shenzi and Ed standing vigilantly nearby. I'm completely bewildered as to why they did that.

"Um," I began, walking over to them, "that's Zira…" I say. Shenzi's eyes widen while Banzai and Ed each crook a brow at the body now lying on the pavement.

"It is?" Banzai said, "I thought we were gonna get mauled by a bear or somethin'."


	2. Chapter 2

Once I'd informed my three companions that Zira was Zira and _not_ a hideous monstrosity of some sort, they calmed and soon educated me of how their families were adapting to this change in environment. So it seems the entire hyena population made it through the alteration just fine; with those loose ends tied up, I bade them farewell and made my way back home, Zira draped over my shoulders.

As I retraced my steps into the Pridelands, I passed the formerly-lower species area of the kingdom. Though this time when they spotted me they went about their business; must've figured out I wasn't a threat anymore. I notice they've already taken up some hobbies in this new existence—one female had grown a medium-sized flower bed full of tulips. I could smell them but the aroma was faint; frankly, I'm surprised at how weak we've all gotten—no claws, no fangs, our sense of smell, night vision, and muscular anatomy is to laugh at, and not even any horns or sharp hooves for the ex- herbivores. And yet we're able to compensate by all this fascinating paraphernalia. I pass a tall hedge with red roses, I have to literally dig my nose into the bloom just to get a decent scent.

One of the things I miss most about being a lion—one of the things I guess I took for granted—was the ability to pick up numerous aromas. Even the mild fragrance of fresh rain was deeply missed…listen to me, I sound like a bad greeting card.

When I finally made it home a bunch of girls were all waiting in the lobby. They turn, take one look at me, and start giggling. "Hi Taka." A bunch of feminine sing-song voices greet. I take one look around, Mufasa's not there—that's why they're paying attention. I let out an exasperated sigh and look for Sarabi or Sarafina, as I can't exactly keep holding Zira up forever. Sarafina and I spot each other at the same time; she smiles and approaches me, though when she sees Zira her eyes widen.

"What happened to her?" She asked. I take Zira's arm from off my shoulders and just hold her limp form bridal-style and explain what happened.

"Um…she bumped her head." Well, it was how she lost consciousness anyway; besides, who's to say Shenzi, Banzai or Ed would even _want_ to beat her up if they knew who she was at the time…right? "Anyway, uh, could you just…do something with her?"

She fixated a confused brow at me, crossing her arms. "What do you expect me to do exactly?"

"I don't know, take her at least. My arms are getting limp." She laughs, obliging and setting Zira on an empty arm chair. "Will she be alright?" I ask. Sarafina pushes some of Zira's hair aside and looks at her forehead.

"Sure, she'll be ok. It's just a bump." I glanced at all the girls—former lionesses, all short-haired ranging from blonde to light brown—behind me, and noticed they formed a bulky line headed into the right archway.

"What are they waiting for, exactly?" I asked.

"Oh, your father's instating a dress code, so we're all waiting to get fitted."

"I see."

"Yeah. Don't worry about Zira, I'll make sure she gets taken care of."

"Thanks."

With that matter out of the way, I decided to see if Mufasa had succeeded in his little mission as well. I walked up the stairs and to the right, down the same hallway he took to find Zazu. Obviously by now he could be anywhere but this is all I have to start with so as I make my way further down the hall…I find him standing at the end.

He hears my footsteps, looks behind him and is delighted to see me."Great to see you back. Everything check out ok?"

"They're adjusting but no worse than us." I reply.

"That's good I guess. So, guess who I found?" Mufasa smiles, only to step aside and reveal someone about our age, about three inches shorter, with dark hair that's slicked back, in a dark blue suit and black, polished shoes. For a 17 year-old, he looks pretty over-matured; I suppose I would be too if _I_ constantly waited on Father hand and foot.

"Locked in a closet?" I assume; it was only half-serious since poking fun at our majordomo is a beloved pastime for the two of us. Mufasa doesn't hesitate in joining in.

"The bathroom." He chuckles. Zazu's shoulders bristle, but I'm guessing if he was still a bird his feathers would be ruffling.

"I may be new to a lack of wings but I'm still a fully competent majordomo!" He insists. "_And_ I can still as easily report your mockery to your father."

"You think he'll pay enough attention to care?" We both laugh. Zazu, who received a clipboard from some reason, clenches said clipboard and stamps his foot.

"I don't have to take this!" He huffs, turning around, "I'm going to assist Ahadi."

Mufasa takes his shoulder before he can get too far. "Take it easy, Zazu, we were just kidding." He smiles. Our touchy majordomo indignantly shirks away from his grasp. My brother sighs and tries to patch things up.

"Look," He says good-naturedly, "Father's been insisting we all get to know this place as soon as possible; not just for adaptation purposes, but to become so genial it'll be like this barely even happened. He says it'll show our superiority. Anyway, since you have a natural talent for expertise, I was hoping you'd help me get to know this pla-"

"WHAT?!" I butt in. "We transform from any signs of our old existence—including anatomy, environment, and legion—get overexposure to unfamiliar apparatus and habitat, alter our lifestyle completely—all in not 24 hours—and he wants to pretend like _nothing_ _happened_?! Is he insane?!"

The rest goes lethargically slow; sluggish; like some unhurried sitcom Mother Nature likes to play to indulge her sick desire of making my life a recurring train wreck. I barely have time to acknowledge the way Mufasa's gaze moves behind me, or the way Zazu's eyes widen just before he ducks behind my brother. I don't even have enough time to be fully confused about their behavior, before something clashes into my ribcage. The force is so great, my back swings a door open and I keep going until my spine crushes against the wall, painfully slithering down until I hit the floor…

* * *

Ahadi turned to Mufasa and Zazu, the anger still burning within his eyes, "And you two are to know this kingdom hand and foot—not _paw_ and _paw_—hand and foot: by TOMORROW."

The elder prince and majordomo uneasily nodded, before watching the king storm down the hall, his heavy footsteps overflowing the mansion. Mufasa turned to the room his brother had been battered into in one swipe, and gazed upon it with sorrow and regret…

* * *

I held my side as I let out a groan, the shirt was very little protection from my back half-shattering against the wall. You see? Father's tyrannical, and anybody with a cerebral organ knows it. It's whether they'll vocally state it that makes any difference.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed aren't afraid to; of course, why wouldn't they be? Since they're forced to live in an area cut off from all other civilization, and leaving it to _enter_ civilization—the same one my totalarian Father has complete power over—would be highly illegal. I cough as I try to take in a heavy breath, my lungs feel like they've been crushed. I'm sure one of my ribs is cracked. I try to breathe again but every time I do I have to fight not to cry out in pain.

I look around; it took me awhile to realize this is my room. It didn't have my name on anything, but it felt like it. I try to get up to move, but my back heavily objects, and I bite down on my lip to stop myself in mid-yell. There's something warm gradually traveling down my back, making my shirt stick to me.

I look up; there's a nail jetting out of the wall. Perfect, so not only do I have a blood injury but it's probably a good half-inch deep too. There's a bed not too far from where I am, but I can't walk. I curl up by the door, resting my hand in my palm. The hyenas knowing my predicaments with my father, they've had their share of experience with this sort of thing; especially their matriarch. I let out a quiet sigh, that female…or woman now, I suppose, has been like a 2ndmother to me. Ordinarily, being treated as an equal to a hyena was insulting or mortifying, but it's the closest thing to dignity I've gotten in years. She's also treated many a wound of mine, knowing full-well where I've received them.

As I close my eyes, I feel the sting of my gash again, and fall asleep hoping Safia can remedy it…

* * *

When I wake up I can still feel my shirt sticking to my back, but the blood has long-dried by now. I wince as I get to my feet. Mother probably expects me to be at breakfast soon but I can't go down looking like this. I feebly walk over to this somewhat long, brown wooden object…a bureau. I pull open a drawer—the middle one—and find it full of pressed, blue shirts; only this time I scowl at that blasted symbol of royalty in the corner of every one of them. But I sigh and, knowing I don't have time to angrily glance at clothing emblems, take one of them out and lay it on top, shutting the drawer afterward. I open a small door on the side and find it full of pants, and the first drawer is for socks and underneath attire.

I pile the sections of a clean outfit in front of me and pull the remnants of my old one off. When I yanked off my shirt, ignoring the pain of course, I stopped to notice the long tear made by the nail; probably identical to the wound in my back. There was a mirror on the back of the bureau and I turned around to glance at the equally-long gash that'd been left; nasty-looking, a few bruises left from my crash with the door and wall, and a few blotches of dried blood had veered off from the wound to stain a few parts of my back.

I sighed, knowing I'll have to hide this in order to keep Mother from getting wise. She knows about Father's terrible temper but…is unfortunately oblivious to how far he takes it. She's never noticed a mark on me and _that's_ because Father's ensured that she never does; I'd been convinced by him that if word got to her it would be too much of a shock for her to take. Imagine, her husband who she raised a family and kingdom with, abusing one of her beloved children; she'd be so heartbroken she'd be traumatized.

In addition, the kingdom might be affected. Think about it—king and queen having serious marital problems, possibly setting for divorce—it could cause a real crisis. Opportunist invaders, back-stabbing residents, trespassers (not that I'd blame a few certain ones), and I would've been the one to cause all of it.

…The worst part is I'm still convinced of that.

I throw the shirt underneath my bed, hissing when the dry blood cracks as I kneel down, and slip into my clean clothes as fast as possible. I rush out the door, down the hall, and directly to the stairs descending to the lobby.

* * *

I saw a lot of former lionesses as I walked down the hallway—many of them had taken on other various roles once being part of a hunting party became obsolete. Some of them were guards, some of them were caretakers, and the rest were just servants; each wore uniforms fitting to their position—guards wore red, caretakers wore orange, and servants wore gold. They bowed in acknowledgement as I walked past.

When I saw the girls as I walked downstairs, they were all dressed differently—by which I mean from the first time I saw them. Now they're all dressed _alike_: red button-up shirts with collars, ruffled blue skirts reaching down below their knees, and white or black dress shoes. Apparently Father wants to keep things strict even when relating to casual dress code.

When they see me they all greet, "Good morning Taka" in unison; Sarafina in her friendly voice, Sarabi in her soft one, and Zira in…her one. I nod in acknowledgement, trying to smile politely, and keep heading downstairs.

The kitchen is the first door on the left when you reach the bottom of the steps, when I walk in I see everybody sitting at the breakfast bar. Mother's buttering a piece of toast, Zazu's munching on a bagel though focused on his clipboard, and Mufasa is staring at a plate of bacon and eggs. Father is nowhere in sight (thankfully).

Mother smiles at the first glimpse of me, "Good morning dear." She turns to Zazu and Mufasa, "Boys, say good morning." Zazu mumbles something between his concentration and his full mouth, waving halfheartedly. Mufasa does nothing.

I sit next to my brother, but he doesn't glance up to look at me. …He looks ashamed for some reason. I stare at him in confusion, until Mother asks, "Did you sleep well, son?" I slept well…for someone who was nearly butchered last night, tenderized and sliced open, and too in pain to even move to my own bed.

But naturally I reply, "Wonderfully Mother. Thanks for asking."

Mufasa looks up. "May I be excused?" All of us, but Zazu—whose gaze I almost fail to notice turns soft and piteously albeit it stays on the clipboard—stare in perplexity.

"Why Muffy? You've not even touched your food."

"I'm just not feeling hungry this morning. …Still soaking in the change I guess."

Mother nods. "It _is_ a lot to take in. Alright, go see what your father's up to. I'll be upstairs shortly."

Mufasa scoots out of his chair while a servant girl pushes it back in and another takes his plate to the sink. Zazu, having torn his gaze from the clipboard to watch him leave, glances back at Mother, "Your highness, I feel I'll be more needed upstairs than down here stuffing my gullet. Though my gratitude is sent; it was a lovely meal all the same." Mother nods, "You're excused." He gets up to leave, politely waving the servant girls away as he takes care of his own plate and chair.

I glance down at my plate, thinking about what I'd do today. I'm sort of not in the mood to face Dad after last night (who would be?), so after I down a glass of milk and a couple strips of bacon I tell Mother, "Mother, I'd like to spend some time at the Elephant Graveyard today. Father _did_ say we should go about our routines as though things were usual." I _still_ thought that was a foolish idea, but I smiled just the same. Mother's smile is much less enthusiastic; she looks down and sips something hot from a mug…coffee.

"It's a foolish idea," I hear her speak quietly. Great minds think alike. We look up and hold each other's gazes. "Your father has the proposal that if we—the creatures at the top of the food chain—are the same ones to adapt the fastest, we'll retain our reputation as the sovereigns of all species.

"But isn't he the least bit worried about whether this could be permanent?" Evidently no. "If we were to stay like this for the rest of our lives, we would lose every inch of our roots Taka. We have no natural presence here, we'd be the exact opposite type of thing your father is trying to achieve—a husk of a population. We'd be a people without a culture."

I most definitely take after Mother. I glance at her understandingly. She smiles at me and takes another sip from her mug. "Go and visit your friends if you must, I don't think the kingdom will change by the time you get back—it'd be more of a blessing if it did." She gets up from her chair, kisses me on the temple, and leaves the kitchen. As the lionesses start to clean up, I'm about to leave as well, then pause…I didn't exactly see many eateries over at the graveyard, not even food carts. Who's to say, with things being the way they always were, that that meant my friends as well as everybody else would still be starving? I can't exactly feed everyone at the current moment, but I should definitely see that Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are taken care of.

So I go back and look through the cabinets, find a few plastic containers, and store a few uneaten meals nobody touched, including Mufasa's plate. I slip them in a small knapsack, drape it over my shoulder, and head out the door.

I sighed, wishing the Elephant Graveyard wasn't so far away. You'd think I'd develop muscles or something from all this daily on-foot traveling but no—still lean and scrawny as ever. What's more with all these advances in technology, I was hoping that included new methods of transportation…and my hopes just might've been answered.

I look up ahead to see this strange, long, metal thing, with adjoining carts linked together, sitting on a single-lane track. Curious, I walk up to a uniformed man standing in front of one of the doors. "Pardon me?"

He starts at first, and upon examining him further I realize he used to be a warthog—he _is_ a bit round in stature. Eventually he stops shaking and clears his throat, "Yes?"

"What do you call this device?" I ask, glancing toward the large machine.

"Oh," He calms a bit and gazes at it as well, "this here's called a monorail. Gets ya anywhere in time that puts walking-pace to shame."

"How fast?"

"This thing made a _cheetah_ cry."

Wow…

He looks at a clipboard in his hand, "Next trip leaves in 5 minutes. Care to climb aboard?"

"How far does it go?"

"Well it runs through about 3 different kingdoms, there's a pit stop a few miles after this, but I would probably wait for the next one."

"Why's that?"

"Because the first one's only a mile from the Elephant Graveyard." Holy Spirits—this must've been my lucky day.

I grin at the man. "I think I _will_ climb aboard."

I could see all the onlookers staring at me like I was crazy, even though I didn't have to glimpse back, as I boarded off the first pit stop. The monorail pulls away and shrinks along the tracks before disappearing somewhere on the horizon. I look up ahead; the Elephant Graveyard right in front of me. I smile, overjoyed at the first object of technology I found useful.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were more than happy I brought food—apparently it _is_ no different from before save a few appearances. Banzai inhales the eggs prior to him and Ed fighting over the last strip of bacon; Shenzi rolls her eyes, glancing at them wearily as she nibbles on an egg she slapped on a bagel. She tries to make conversation with me, but I know it's just to divert her attention from them.

"So, what's new in _your_ life?"

I set the empty containers in the bag and put it aside. "Nothing really, Father's insisting we _keep_ it that way."

She tilts her head at me, her left cheek bulging slightly. "What're you talkin' about?"

I grin sardonically just thinking about my dad's nonsensical theory. "Malleability is essential."

She swallows down the rest of the bagel, but continues to stare at me. "Wha?"

"My dad thinks if we lions are the first species to fully adapt he won't have as many problems controlling his kingdom."

"Oh. That makes sense. …For the first five minutes." She smirks at me. "Does your dad have the word 'lineage' in his vocab?"

I laugh, "Apparently not. He's already instating new laws and regulations for this new life."

"S'why I'm glad I don't live under the monarchy." Shenzi states. "Lemme guess, he's got all the girls wearin' skirts and blouses?"

"Collar shirts." I answer. "And the _first_ day I walked in our lobby a huge horde was lined up to be uniformed, there had to be at least every lioness in our kingdom in there."

She half-smiled. "All huddled in the same room, huh? Was there bloodshed?"

"Actually, they were mostly pretty bored," I look off to the side self-consciously, rubbing my neck, "until they saw me…"

"Wow, being surrounded by tons of girls who wanna get it on with you. I _hate_ it when that happens!" Banzai exclaims, every word dripping with sarcasm. Ed "laughs", his shoulders bobbing. Neither of them have let go of the bacon.

"It's not as glamorous as you think." I counter. Judging by the look he and Ed exchange after I say that, they're still a little cynical about believing me. I roll my eyes. Shenzi turns to them.

"You know if I were you two I'd cut the prince here a little slack; he's the one who brings food, remember?" Ed's mocking expression immediately disappears and he quickly puts his hands up in apology…barely stopping Banzai who took advantage of the opportunity when Ed let go of the bacon to dangle the strip over his mouth. The two begin wrestling each other for it again. Shenzi shakes her head, I smile. She looks up at me, feigning interest.

"So, they still at your beck and call?"

"Yeah," I answer, "they're our servants now. They're under command to do anything a royal wants."

Shenzi doesn't hesitate in raising a brow as Banzai and Ed each promptly quit fighting over that bacon to stare at me. I immediately get what they're assuming.

"No, not like THAT!" I hastily shout.

"Awww," Banzai fakes a groan, smiling, whilst Ed just-as-falsely slumps his shoulders, "you mean you don't get _any_ fun over there?" He playfully slaps my back: I instantly—loudly—yell out in pain. They all leap back, surprised. Shenzi turns to glare at Banzai, who looks bewildered.

"I didn't hit 'im _that_ hard." He insists. It's true, he didn't, but _any_ contact with my back felt like a bed of nails laced with acid. I hiss from the aching, trying not to move.

Shenzi steps forward, all of them still staring at me apprehensively. "Taka?"

I attempt to hide it, I look at the ground like nothing's bothering me, but I can't help clenching my teeth and fists from the pain. Those bruises were throbbing, and I'm sure some areas of my gash were re-opened. They didn't buy it, that I don't need to look up to perceive. Shenzi steadily begins to walk past me; when she's at the rear of me, I can start to feel my shirt sliding up, but that's where I end it. Quickly I pulled away from her and turned so my back was…now facing Banzai and Ed.

They both don't waste time grabbing me from behind, each clutching one of my arms. I feel one of them take hold of the hem of my shirt, I look back to see it's Banzai. He swiftly lifts it up…

Ed's eyes bulged.

Banzai's eyes widened too, his jaw slacks, "…Holy…"

And at seeing their petrified expressions Shenzi immediately came around me to see what the matter was. Still looking back, I see her jaw drop instantaneously. Banzai and Ed let go of my arms and my shirt falls halfway down, but Shenzi recaptures it in not a second flat, pulling it back up as her face grows horrified.

"WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?!" She reaches up to touch my wounds but I immediately turn and grab her wrist; it's so thin, even compared to _mine_. I glance down at her firmly…but I can't be defensive with her; she's just trying to look out for me. I know she hates to see me like this; Banzai and Ed do too.

And every time this happens they always have the same thing to say:

"Tell your mother." Shenzi, Banzai (and Ed) demand as Safia—Shenzi's mom, who looks near-exactly like her and is wearing a long-sleeved, black v-neck and thin jeans with old sewn-on designs going down the outer legs, starting to come unthreaded—rubs some kind of greenish salve on my back. My shirt's hanging over one of the two straw-woven chairs across from each other at the musty, rarely-used dinner table. The third one, its red dyed straw faded and its plain-colored straw starting to unweave like the others, was the one I was sitting on as Safia finished applying the liniment to my injury.

Shenzi's house is the more studier of the other slums; at least the ancient boards in her home are the thickest and don't have as many cracks in them. It's a very compact 3-room house—the doors were just long, ragged cloths hanging from two nails—with one room being Safia and Bakari's (her mate), the other being Shenzi's, and the third being…whatever they wanted it to. And right now it was posing as an amateur medical center.

Safia wipes her hands on her pants—as the Graveyard can't afford luxuries like fabrics or cloths of trivial purposes—and puts the lid back on an old glass jar. "Ok honey," she sighs half-heartedly, "you're all patched up."

I smile in gratitude. "Thank you matriarch."

She kindly puts her hand on my shoulder and kisses my cheek, "For the last time, you can call me Safia." She smiles at her daughter and her two companions, before exiting out the dusty doorway.

When she's gone Shenzi turns to me. "This shoulda stopped too long ago."

I hardly acknowledge her comment and look at my shirt still hanging over the chair. I hope no blood is on it; fortunately there's not. I reach over for it but Shenzi quickly grabs it and clenches it in her fingers, glowering at me. I sigh, "Shenzi, please give me my shirt back."

"You _know_ what you have to do to get it back. Until then, you can walk around half-naked!" She turns to the two boys standing nearby her. "Banzai, Ed, don't lend him any shirts! Got it?" They nod, before Banzai cackles.

"I think his dad would like it better if he came home half-naked than with a Graveyarder's shirt on." I shrug; I have to give him that one. Nonetheless, I turn back to Shenzi firmly, holding out my hand.

"Please give me it back, and this is the last time I'll ask nicely."

She throws it to Ed, who catches it indecisively, before frowning at me. "You want it? Go get it."

I sigh. "Shenzi, I have a lot better things to do than play monkey-in-the-middle for a shirt."

"Yeah, like tellin' your mom how hard she should pound your dad once you tell her what's been going on!"

"My mother doesn't need to know."

"SHE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW." She states loudly. "HER SON IS BEIN' TORTURED CONSTANTLY BY THAT SORRY WASTE OF BREATH SHE CALLS HER HUSBAND, AND SHE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW."

Banzai and Ed turn to glance at me. "It's gotta come out sometime, man." He states. Ed nods.

"Better she finds out from you than from your cold, beaten body." Shenzi glares.

"Don't foresee stuff like that Shenzi, just don't." I plead, running my hand through my hair exasperatedly.

She doesn't let up. "Well that's what's gonna happen and you _know _it! This keeps up, one day you'll go home from the graveyard…and you won't come back…" She bites her lip, tilting her head toward the ground.

I blink, examining her change in expression. Is she…trying to hide something? Banzai's gaze stayed with her the minute she mentioned my could-be demise. We both move forward to placate her but before either of us can do anything she viciously tears the shirt from Ed's hands and hurls it at me. "There! Take your precious shirt! And go home to your bone-breakin' daddy! I hope you _don't_ come back!" She shouts, before storming off in the opposite direction. Banzai wastes not a breath in going after her.

Ed and I just stand there awkwardly…

After a minute I uneasily pull my shirt back on and we stare at each other. …Then he just feebly waves me goodbye and shoves his hands in his pockets as he walks off.

* * *

My return-trip on the monorail was to not be compared to my first one; I arrived home less enthusiastic and much more frustrated than before. I dumped the plastic containers into the sink once I got to the kitchen, slinging the bag to a corner of the floor for any patrolling servant girl to find. I leaned against the counter and sighed, feeling the emolument starting to take some effect, but the pain that moved from my back merely found another place to stay. I walked away from the kitchen and up the steps from the atrium.

As I reach the top of the stairs I see Mufasa in the right hall—the one leading to my room. He's staring into another mirror, much larger than the one in the lobby, square instead of oval-shaped, and bordered in molded gold. He's not gazing at his reflection with as much vanity as a humanized peacock; no, he's just…staring into it…gazing _past_ it. I walk up to his side, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Hi."

He jumps, grunting in surprise; making me flinch back from astonishment as well. When he turns and sees me his expression melts. "Oh, you're home…"

I grin, "Yup, just in the nick of time, like always."

He hums in response, not saying much else and looking back into the mirror. I glance at it too, hoping some antics with my brother will take my mind off the pessimistic events in the Elephant Graveyard today. "See anything you like?" I joke.

His gaze travels downward to the floor, one of his hands ducking into his pocket. "I'm sorry…" I hear him say. Sorry? For what? "…I should've helped you."

…My eyes widen; subsequently I turn to face him and his regretful expression. His sad eyes turn to the floor again and he grips my shoulder a moment, before walking back the way I came.

I scowl; does _everybody_ feel sorry for me today? Who's next, Zazu?

_He_ walks by and actually manages a sad _smile_ in my direction, then heads to one of the studies.

I try to snarl in aggravation, but it comes out as a grouchy breath. I inhale sharply, and indomitably head for my room.

I kick open the door and irately grab my shirt, wrenching it off. I throw it against the wall and kick my shoes off next, they hit the same wall I did the other night, making two semi-loud thumps before they fall to the carpet. I glare at the nail that'd dug into my back, then slam the door behind me and yank open the top drawer of the bureau for some nighttime apparel.

* * *

I fall back against the bed, pulling the white sheet up to my chin, leaving the blue comforter that lay on top reaching up to my chest. I fold my arms underneath my head and _try_ to relax; letting out a breath of frustration, inhaling calmly, then exhaling again as I look around my room.

It's like my own palace really; very spacious with a white rug, white walls, long white curtains on the right side of the room covering up the exit to a small balcony overlooking one of the gardens, the emblem "Pr. Taka" engraved into the headboard of my bed, a large bureau, and an equally large closet to store personal things in. Only royalty can be treated as good as this.

I let my breathing relax. I don't know what I have to be so depressed about; I'm an important prince, I live in the most acclaimed part of town, my bedroom is _huge_. I don't even know why I'm keeping myself up at night…

…I'm depressed because I'm not even the 2nd-bit.

…I'm depressed because all these material things mean nothing if part of my family hates me.

…I'm depressed because…I've hurt one of my friends very badly. And I never meant to let it get that far.

I roll onto my side, reminding myself to apologize to her if she'll even see me…or beat my brains out first.


	3. Chapter 3

Author Note: Y'know what's ironic? In TLK 2, Zira—the lioness who'd gut her own organs and lay them out on a silver platter if it made Scar happy—punishes Kovu, because he "Killed his own brother!" However, did not Scar commit the same crime? Ergo, what's she so flamed up about? Fangirls, sheesh.

* * *

I manage to dodge Father yet again as I snuck out early that morning to make my way to the Elephant Graveyard. Hopefully the monorail would still be running; to my fortuity it was. I take a seat near the window and observe the pre-dawn atmosphere: the fog is thick and dew coats the outside of my window, each time I breathe condensates more fog. I'm one of the very few passengers on here, counting me there's only four or five people on board.

I start to have second thoughts as I get off at the stop, not about coming, but about coming at the _hour_. Shenzi, or any hyena for that matter, never struck me as an early-riser. Yet to my amazement the first thing I see when I enter the proximity of the graveyard is her…pounding her fists into the rock surface. She is literally pummeling a hole into the large stone-covered ground between the border of my land and hers.

She narrows her eyes, clasps her hands together in a solid fist, raises it above her head and grunts as her knuckles _destroy_ that concrete, cement pieces flying everywhere. Her two individual fists break into it further, before she finally gets to the long-isolated earth. She picks out the broken pieces of cement and carelessly throws them over her shoulder, before repeating the process to widen the hole. This time she grunts as her elbow breaks through.

My eyes widen: I forgot how scary she can be. It'd be a lie to say I'm not a bit reluctant to approach her, maybe I should've brought food to help lower enmity. I soon find out there's no going back when I see her glance upward to wipe her brow and then unexpectedly see me. The minute our gazes meet however, she narrows her eyes and shirks her gaze away. She forsakes the concrete and gets up, then starts to walk off. I calmly go after her. "Shenzi,"

She hears me, but doesn't stop, if anything she deliberately starts leading me through turns and alleyways just to shake me off. Good thing I'm not easily eluded. I call out to her. "Shenzi!" She picks up the pace and then swerves to the right. I groan in frustration and am about to go after her…until I realize something: I know that alleyway she took. At least, I knew it back when it was just an entanglement of bones and debris, but anyway that turn would take one to a clearing that could be easily turned into a dead-end; one would have to simply shove a ribcage in front of the trench-like outlet.

I go back, hoping I can beat her there before its too late; there's another pathway leading to that area and I take it. Before long I arrive at the clearing that's now been turned into a slight extent in width of the alleyway, and the trench is the same width as the entrance to this place, and the ribcage is now a tall gate with a chain dangling by its dead bolt. I don't have any key but I improvise; I don't need to lock her up, just make her listen.

I close the gate and entangle the chain between the wires, then slip to the left side of the alleyway as I hear footsteps approaching. She emerges and her eyes widen when she sees the gate. I've got her trapped.

I calmly walk up to her, "Shenzi?"

She turns to see me, but abruptly folds her arms, and rotates so her back is facing me. "Oh at least be a _little_ mature." I tell her. She mumbles a response not exactly G-rated. I gawk. "…You did _not_ just say that."

She turns to me, "And if I did, whadda you gonna do about it? Tell mommy on me?" She glances away again. This time I narrow _my_ eyes. I'm about to go off on her…before I sigh, what's the point? I came here to make up anyway.

I carefully walk up behind her, and, causing her to almost jump in surprise I wrap my arms around her from the back. "I'm sorry." I whisper in her ear.

She's still as a statue for a moment, before glancing at me apathetically, her eyelids lowered. "I know you are."

I manage a smile just for the sake of keeping this bridge fire-retardant, even though I _am_ feeling a tiny bit mad. "Still friends?"

"Depends on how long you'll live." She responds, looking away. I mentally sigh, this isn't going anywhere; so I look for a change in subject.

"What were you doing at the border?" I ask. She looks at her lightly-chaffed knuckles.

"Agriculture." She responds. "Mom says if we don't have to starve, we shouldn't; so when she found out we could _grow_ food, she had me look for a suitable place to cultivate." I let go as she turns to face me, "I couldn't, so I _made _one."

"You're going to eat…_plants_?" I gawk, which makes her look away ashamedly. "But we're _carnivores_."

"…Not so much as before." She admits, "Tell ya the truth, I tried an apple yesterday…and I _liked_ it. Ed found some growin' on a tree when me n' the boys were wonderin' around, and he climbed up an' got some for us."

I tilt my head in curiosity, "How's it taste?"

"Kinda crunchy, lil' juicy, it's kinda tart if ya eat 'em too green; I like the red ones."

"What's your mother wanting to grow?"

"_Anything_." She answers. "We're _starvin'_ Taka, and this is the first time we can do somethin' about it…legally." She adds.

"Well, trees take a long time to grow." I tell her.

She laughs, "Yeah, apples were ruled out a long time ago."

"Who's your supplier?"

"…Well, uh…"

"You don't know where to get any seeds, do you?"

"We'll improvise; there's gotta be a little greenery around _somewhere._"

I shake my head. "Shenzi, look around you: fundamentally, you're living in the same neighborhood you did before; there's no food, no water—if there is it's far from sanitary; your living conditions are condemnable; there's no way vegetation could thrive deep within there from the lack of sunlight and-"

"I GET IT." She interrupts. "But nobody else is helpin' us!" She darts her gaze from me and burns holes into the sidewalk with it. I put my hand to my chin in thought.

"What if," I suggest, "_I_ bring back some seeds for you? I'll even throw in a few sprouts."

Her gaze moves upward and she cocks an eyebrow at me. "You're serious?"

"The Pridelands has more resources than it needs, one or two missing seedlings won't hurt—I doubt it'll even be noticed."

She looks aside a minute, then sighs, "We're eatin' plants and you're _still_ the one feedin' us."

I smile, "No need to give it a second thought." She stares up at me for an extensive moment…then much to my surprise steps forward and hugs me. I'm a little taken off guard at first, but I gradually hug her back, seems she just wants to make up too. We pull away after a while or so.

"Be back after lunch." I promise, starting to walk away.

"Sounds good." She replies as I take a few steps back to the alleyway. Right as I'm at the entrance though, I hear her voice.

"Oh, and Taka," I look back and to my amazement, she's already hopped the gate and is smiling at me from the other side. The chain is still secured. "Next time, don't be so underestimating."

* * *

When I returned home that afternoon—5 minutes until lunch—I walked in on something that was _quite_ the revelation and I'd barely opened the door. I discovered that in all my years and experience with this family, I never _fully_suspected something of this like, though it might've crossed my thoughts a time or two. _This_ was truly an eye-opener, yet at the same time, a confirmed suspicion. Bottom line: it was something I'd _definitely_ be telling Shenzi, Banzai and Ed when I went back to the graveyard; produce seeds in hand.

I casually pushed my hands in my pockets, making my way over to the kitchen. When I pushed the door open I saw this servant girl struggling to carry a tray with two full plates on it, and another behind her had a large pitcher of water and two glasses. I smiled politely and held the door open, they smiled back in gratitude saying, "Thank you, Prince Taka", and headed upstairs.

Lunch was surprisingly pleasant; Mother was the only one eating since Father and Mufasa were occupied with royal studies and too busy to join—explains the actions of the two servants—and Zazu was of course helping them. As a result, she and I attained some one-on-one time, which I found enjoyable.

After the meal was over (and after obtaining a few leftovers for the revisit), I made my way over to the palace nursery in the _large_ backyard. It was mostly compiled of great shrubs with flowers that Mother found lovely, and I couldn't find any edible plants if there were at all; I suppose a flourishing palace didn't really have use for agriculture. I sighed; this was turning to be more difficult than I imagined. But I don't go back on my word, so I trudged on. Eventually I found this old green house: when I say old, I'm implying _ancient_.

Much of the structure had been overtaken by some wild vine, and what windows could be seen behind it were either cracked or broken; shards were scattered all over the dust/dirt floor. I had to watch my step to make sure none pierced through my soles. There were stands and tables for foliage to grow on, yet no live vegetation in sight—just a lot of numerous empty cartons where plants _would've_ matured. My mood disheartened, and my gaze fell to the dirt. I kicked some dust as I walked back to the rusted door.

Seems my good intentions were all in vain; I sighed, envisioning what I'd tell Shenzi when I got back. Just before I made it to the exit however, another carton caught my eye…a carton filled with dust-covered seed packets.

My eyebrows shot up, as did my hope, as I fell to my knees and pulled it out from underneath the table it'd been hidden by. I glanced at the labeling…and my chest brimmed over in delight: vegetables, fruits, heck even herbs if they felt like getting creative. Enthusiastically I shoved every packet I could find into the bag I stuffed the containers of food in, then I ran like heck towards that monorail station.

* * *

Shenzi's never one to show emotion excessively—as a matriarch, she's trained to remain cool and composed—but I could tell she was ecstatic when she saw what was in the bag. Her smile's nothing more than a slight twinge of the lips, though from the way she clenched the bag to her chest and how her eyes lit up she's evidently grateful.

We walked to that breach in the concrete alone, since Banzai and Ed were currently at his brother's house. She sets the bag down and we start to dig. It might've been best if I brought some gardening tools; thankfully with planting only seeds not much unearthing has to be done, so I readily scrape into the dirt with my fingernails. The earth is hard and stale underneath the cement, perhaps I should've brought plant food as well. The soil comes up in thin, fragile clods; Shenzi crumbles them in her palm for the sake of easier development.

I look up to the sky; what's strange is, this place always seems to have a gray overtone, yet not a few miles away in my kingdom, the skies are blue and clear as water. …Water…I probably should've brought that too. I sigh; I've set the blocks without a foundation. Shenzi's seems more than happy though, at least there's that.

She slaps her hands clean as soon as we're done and we get to our feet. "Banzai and Ed should be comin' to my place any minute." She glances upward, _now_ allowing herself to reveal a slight grin, "Still hungry enough for lunch?"

I smirk, "I might've saved some room."

* * *

Banzai and Ed were happy to see food as Shenzi was about the seeds, only _much_ more expressive. In no time they were lounging around the alley near Shenzi's house and wolfing it down.

"So," Shenzi begins, forking in a bite of chicken and glancing in my wake, "how come you're gettin' here so fast these days?" Banzai and Ed turn their gazes towards me.

"Hey, yeah." He jumps in with a mouthful, "Usually it takes ya half a day to walk here."

I smirk, holding the apple Shenzi gave me at my side. "Well, I don't walk anymore." I replied. Banzai glances down at my lower half, and crooks a brow.

"Your legs look fine to me."

Shenzi rolls her eyes while Ed's shoulders bob. "Not physically Einstein—he means he found some other way to get here."

"Oh."

I try not to smile, as it'd only turn their conflict towards me; but the arguments that ensue between Shenzi and Banzai are usually hysterical. Not so much this time, but enough for a slight laugh. Which I try to avoid by explaining my acquired means of transportation.

"I take this thing called a monorail," I elucidate, "sometimes it even brings me home early; Father is becoming frustrated with one less way to vent." I smiled. Banzai smirked, probably at the thought of Dad fuming about me and not being able to do a thing about it—for once the king was powerless. It's a thought that provides one a good feeling, I'll admit. Ed giggled impishly for the same reason. And Shenzi…smiled at me. I can't understand why my mental reaction is so thrilled; she's smiled at me before, I don't know why this time is different but…I can't keep myself from looking at her. She looks very pretty. …Did I just call a hyena _pretty_?

"So he's pretty ticked, huh?" Banzai asked in a somewhat pleased tone. Huh? Oh, yeah, the drop in dinnertime beatings. Thanks to this "monorail" thing, I actually was getting home on time if not early. Grateful to have him drag me from such thoughts—particularly since if I even _did_ feel that way about Shenzi we'd be rivals—I was happy to answer Banzai's question.

"Today I even caught my father _preparing_ to give me the third-degree." I stated.

"No kiddin'." Shenzi replied, as if it was something new. I nodded, casually throwing the apple up and catching it.

"I found him coming into the lobby and taking a seat near the entryway. When he saw me stepping in five minutes premature, he blinked in surprise, frowned, then got up and walked away." I nearly laughed; my friends did it for me, especially Ed (so to speak; his shoulders throbbed the hardest).

I didn't mention that Mufasa had been following him into the foyer, consistently asking what he was doing. Apparently he'd interrupted their important monarchial seminar just to come yell at me. After he left, Mufasa seemed surprised to see me too, but instead of frowning he smiled and welcomed me home, making a joke about how it was nice I was on time "for once."

I look at Shenzi, "I'll remember to bring some supplies tomorrow."

"…Huh?" She looks confused for a moment, then her face snaps up in realization. "Oh! Oh, right the seeds. Don't worry 'bout it. There's broken water lines all over the place; we gotta get rid of that run-off _somehow_."

"Seeds?" Banzai raises a brow out of perplexity at us. I glance at my apple for a moment and then explain the situation to him…and fail to notice Shenzi slicing her hand across her throat for me to cork it.

Too late: Banzai's eyes immediately widen and he puts his hands up in protest. "Oh no! I know where this is goin'! And I am _not_ gonna be scarfin' down no freakin' vegetables!"

"You didn't mind those apples yestahday!" Shenzi instantly counters.

"That was different!"

"It's FOOD rocks-for-brains!

"It's what FOOD_ EATS_!"

"You can't go 5 seconds without complainin' about your stomach, and the time you can finally stuff your face enough to shut up about it-!"

"We're eating **plants**, Shenzi!"

Shenzi's brow furrowed, "Well like it or not, we're-!"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Banzai shouted, covering his ears.

Shenzi grabs his wrists and yanks them down right as she leans in his face. "We're OMNIVORES now."

See? Hysterical! By the way Ed's rolling on the ground, holding his sides, I can tell he's enjoying this as much as I am. Banzai glowers at us. "And whadda you two laughin' at?!"

"Oh, the usual." I reply casually, giving him a lop-sided grin. Shenzi grins back as well, and it seems, much like before, we're all having a moment of humor at Banzai's quick-temper-induced expense.

"Ah shut up!" He gripes as we all start laughing. I glance up at the position of the sun; almost evening. I look over to Shenzi, who's trying to support Ed as he calms himself down—first to laugh, last to compose. I smile back in her wake…and find myself silently hoping to see if she'll have any reaction like I did a few moments ago. She looks up at me, making eye contact… and just grins back politely; indifferently. I mentally sigh, but keep the smile, although it melts slightly.

"I should probably get home now." I state, scooping the empty containers in the bag with the empty, torn-open seed packets.

She nods. "Ok, see ya tomorrow." Ed waves me off happily.

Banzai and I catch each other's gazes, and from the neutral expression I can't tell if he's still mad about the dispute earlier. But soon he coolly half-smirks at me and raises his hand. He and I clasp our palms together in a more grip-like version of a high-five, and I smirk back.

I wave them off and make my way back to the monorail station, and arrive home in time for dinner (much to Father's concealed displeasure). Mother's invited Sarabi, Sarafina and Zira to join us (probably tired of all the male-based company), and she and them are just bubbling with conversation.

Sarabi takes a seat near Mufasa, obviously, and I'm in between Sarafina and Zira. Sarafina's chatting with Mother over how the pride's been adapting, and Mother in response jokes about how Father must be so pleased with that.

Father pretends to listen but his gaze is down on his plate and he's forking the entrée petulantly; I stare at him impassively—was maltreating your son _really_ the best way you spent your time?

"Taka stop playing with your food and eat! You're so scrawny we can see right through you!"

I suppose so. I oblige and calmly fork a bite of roast in my mouth. Dinner gets uncomfortably quiet after that, until Father sighs, "Can somebody pass the salt?"

"There's none set out, dear." Mother responds.

"Well someone go get some!"

"Sarafina will do it!" Zira immediately chimes in, pushing her out of her seat. Sarafina lands on her backside with a slight thud, "Oof!" She frowns at Zira while rubbing her sore spot and walks off to the pantry.

Then Zira, for some reason, scoots so close to me we're practically touching at the hip. When I look at her face I can see it's creepily…cheerful—she _still_ needs to lay off the make-up. "How was your afternoon, Taka?" She asks.

"Fine." I look away uncomfortably, hoping when I glance back she'll have turned away…she doesn't. I don't really know what to say until I see the piece of gauze just barely hidden beneath a front lock of her hair—then I recall her unlucky incident in the graveyard yesterday.

"Um…how's your bump?" I ask. Her eagerness immediately dissolves.

"I'm back!" Sarafina states as she places a salt shaker in the middle of the dining table. She sits back down and picks up her napkin, but Father soon clears his throat. Sarafina soon gets a look of realization on her face.

"Oh." She gets up to move it again but Mother picks it up and sketchily sets it near Father's plate. His assertiveness softens and he nods in thanks.

Dinner's become uncomfortable again but I don't care, I spoon another side dish into my mouth and clean my plate inhesitantly. I'm the first to excuse myself as the maids take my tableware to the sink. I don't need to look back to know Father's mood has lightened up considerably once I leave.

As I make my way out of the kitchen and up the stairs, I can see no one else in sight. Our kitchen's not even close to big enough to accommodate the whole pride, so I wonder where the rest of the lionesses eat…

I hear my footsteps echoing as I go down the hall, and I'm reminded of how it can get so lonely here, a feeling I'd hoped I escaped when four legs became two. Even so, I guess a part of me is surprised I'm feeling lonesome; palace or not, Priderock was a _haven_. Yet, despite the tall walls, the golden pillars, the red rug stretching through every which way of the manor, I just feel more depressed the further I walk.

When I finally get to my room, I sigh as the door closes behind me. I pull off my shoes and clothes, grab the first pj's I find and climb into bed, my mind clouding and swirling with too much to think about…

* * *

If a friend of yours said he felt more at home in the Elephant Graveyard than the fruitful sanctum of Priderock, you'd probably commit him to the nearest asylum. But I'd rather be locked up every night of the week than never return here again. It's sad but, the place that welcomes me with open arms doesn't even encompass one member of my family; if anything, my family's too revolted to go there. Mother and Mufasa don't disapprove of my relationships, they just feel Priderock would be more suitable for their like—I can't blame them. Some of the occupants here are _like_ family, and the feeling's mutual; we look out for each other, we enjoy our company, and if environment suits _both_parties can feed the other.

Ed tosses down a pair more apples as he sits on a particularly outstretched tree branch. Banzai catches them and, just to show off in front of Shenzi, rolls them down his arm, past his shoulders, and onto his other arm, flicking them up in the air with his elbow. He catches the first one with a smirk but Shenzi grabs hers before he can get ahold of it and—more interested in the fruit—takes a bite. Banzai looks aside a tad disappointedly but eventually breaks into his apple as well. By this time Ed's slid down the tree trunk and joined the three of us.

"I _still_ say vegetables tank." Banzai states through the mouthful.

"You're in luck, they ain't vegetables, they're fruit." Shenzi responds. Ed's eyes crinkle and he eagerly looks down at his apple…and his shoulders droop. Poor guy; again I'm starting to worry if he'll even _survive_ the change if he can't eat. Shenzi's gaze moves up to me and I forget about the whole thing (sorry Ed).

"So I hear the kingdom's getting a little edgy," She grins, "your dad must be more peeved than usual."

I laugh, "Yeah, he looks like he could erupt any second." I decide to get in on their humorous side since they seem to crack most of the jokes around here, and I want my turn. "When the room's quiet, you can even hear the faint pumping of that vein in his temple."

Her appearance turns serious, "You might wanna be careful around him with all that pent-up anger. Don't know _when_ he could go off…"

Even though she can't enter the Pridelands (legally) to do a thing about my family life, she tries to look out for me. And though I've _never_ _adapted to it_ after _living with my dad for 17 years_, I do appreciate that she cares. I put my hand on her shoulder, ritualistically saying, "I promise I'll be careful."

She senses my mockery and grins, seizing my hand. "You _better_ be."

Before I know what I'm doing I see we've suddenly moved closer. She continues to smile up at me. Are Banzai and Ed even here anymore? I don't know…I don't care…

I cup her jaw and enclose our mouths.

* * *

I bolt upright, gasping heavily. My mind's no longer obscured by too many numerous things, but overcast with images of the same deliberation whose rationale I cannot source. It's shocking to think of all the factors I could've dreamt about, my brain focuses on _that_; something that's not even a factor…something that's…I don't know _how_ came to be!

All those diverse, controversial images; they've either been summarized by or outshined by one—and that one is a graphic portrayal of me molesting my best friend.

My physical features aren't lost to the occurrence and I see my body's enveloped in cold perspiration; my shirt's sticking to my chest and back. I can feel my heart echoing through every follicle of me as I try not to shake.

I looked at the clock on the nightstand—5:45 a.m. I groan and run my hand through my sweaty black hair, _trying_ my best to calm down as I lay on my side. But then I abruptly sit up; what if that disturbing imagery reoccurs?

I'm afraid to go back to sleep. For now I just peel my shirt off as it's starting to feel itchy.

I sat there for a minute, dazed, then fell back on the pillow, trying to catch my breath.

I must've blacked out shortly after, because I find myself centering back into consciousness. My vision's hazy but I look down at the blankets and manage to make out…oh, _great_. Well, at least it didn't go any further than it could've…

Unfortunately this was the _worst_ compromising situation to be in when an unknown visitor barged in my room.

"Get up!" A voice roars, right before a pillow smacks me in the face. I yank it off and sit up to see Father standing at the foot of my bed. Quickly I discreetly use the pillow to cover my…predicament. I rub my left eye as Father starts to belt.

"We're going to church this morning and you're _not_ going to make us late! This is our first impression so dress suitable!"

I groaned, holding my head, "What time is it?"

"6 a.m. That should give us enough time to get the entire palace ready. If you're worried about integration not to fret, every kingdom has its own house of worship."

Fear of integration? What was this, the 60's? (I did a little research on human history beforehand; for the record I was being sarcastic—this isn't the 60's…even though father clearly seems to think so).

When I finally manage to blink into focus, I look up at him curiously. "Church?"

"It's something families do if they want to look good in front of the neighbors. Now get up and get dressed!" The door slams behind him.

…Huh, church; another human experience I've yet to put into practice. I put my feet over the edge of the bed and yawn, stretching my forelimbs. I move the pillow away and am grateful to see that minor dilemma is gone. Then I go to the closet to check for any "suitable", formal attire of mine; a dark blue suit and tie seemed appropriate.

* * *

I scoot next to Mufasa, whose apparel is similar to mine, but Father quickly squeezes him and Mother in between us, so now I'm sitting next to her. Sarafina, wearing a long, modest dress, smiles as she takes a spot next to me, and Sarabi, also clad in the same garb, takes one beside her. Zira, attire like Sarafina and Sarabi's, pouts for some reason when she sees the only empty seat is next to my brother, but nonetheless she sits down.

It turns out church is basically sitting for two hours, listening to one guy shouting vigorously at a podium, while a bunch of listeners try not to fall asleep, calm down a crying infant, or just glance at their watch every five seconds.

I'm among the minority that's making an effort to pay attention, but we're sitting in the very last row. Sarafina leans over Sarabi, who's sitting on the edge, to see what's going on. Mufasa's right next to Dad (like usual), so he can see just fine. Zira is…boredly examining her red-painted nails.

From what little I'm hearing, I can't see why Dad would want to be here in the first place; basically everything they're saying is a contradiction to what he believes in, which is apparently Darwinism. Still, Father sits up tall and nobly, like he's symbolizing something of how being a king doesn't make him any better or different from our fellow non-royal Pridelanders.

_Right_…

When church finally lets out, our limousine drives us back home. I'm about to go up to my room and change out of this, before Father catches my arm. "Oh no you don't!" He bellows once he sees me un-doing my tie. "We're inviting the whole kingdom to the banquet hall this evening for a dinner; you are _not_ going to sling that onto the floor like the slacking teenager you are, just so it can wrinkle!"

You expect me to wear this all day? Then it _will_ get wrinkled. I open my mouth to say something but he cuts me off. "Don't backtalk or I'll slap you unconscious!" Recalling all those times he _did_ beat me unconscious, I took him seriously. "Now go download internet videos or whatever it is you teenagers do, your mother and I have a dinner party to plan." He turns and departs into the kitchen.

Well I don't know about internet videos but there is _one_ place I'd like to go…

* * *

Walking right into the Elephant Graveyard wearing a suit and tie; even _I_ wouldn't have believed it. I can only imagine the reactions Shenzi, Banzai and Ed will give me once they get an eyeful. I see Shenzi and Banzai talking in front of her house; they've already changed out of their formal attire. When they spot me they raise their arms to wave…then falter upon noticing my apparel.

Shenzi's gaze ran over me, "Why ya still in _this_ get-up?"

"Long story." I replied.

Banzai glanced at my chest and laughed for some reason. I learned why as he reached out to grip my tie. "The corporate noose." He grinned.

"I'm a _prince_—what does that have to do with the conglomerate?" I reply sardonically. I look around for Ed, as I usually see him attached to one of these two at the hip, but strangely, he doesn't seem to be around. I glance at Shenzi and Banzai. "Where's Ed?"

"He'll catch up." Shenzi explained. "Wanna kill time at my house?"

We left to arrive at Shenzi's abode, both her parents out doing what every Graveyarder had always done before this happened: look for food. I probably might arrive next time with enough sustenance for their parents as well, but I can't say I can provide for Ed's brother, who, last I heard, was on his way to about a half dozen offspring.

I turn to Shenzi and Banzai, Shenzi leaning back in a chair and Banzai rummaging through an old box to pass the time, and asked,

"Why didn't he just go to service with you two?"

"Aw he didn't go to church," Banzai explains, "he goes to a…a…it's some fancy thing that starts with 's'."

Shenzi rolls her eyes, "Banzai over here thinks it's too hard to pronounce the word '_synagogue_'." She deliberately leans toward him on her emphasis.

Synagogue? Ed's…Jewish? That's…surprising. Not bad, but surprising.

A familiar silhouette flows its way through the doorway; we turn and see Ed and I would never have believed it if not seen it—clad in a suit, Yarmulke and all. Seeing him like this however…I can only imagine what the other two must've worn to service.

"I can't stay for long." I explained as we sat around an old crate, playing some made-up game with pebbles and the use of one's fingers as a goal post of some sort. Banzai held both his thumbs and first fingers in an L-shape and touched them at the thumbs. Ed lowered his head to the edge of the crate so he could be eye-level with the pebble as he aimed. He squinted, readied his thumb and middle finger, and flicked it upward. It hit Banzai's right cheek.

"Ouch!" His right arm went up to the painful pink area.

"Wouldn't hurt if we waited 'til we found something else besides rocks; wouldn't hurt _you_ at all." Shenzi suggested, watching the game propped on her elbow on the crate.

"What? The sting makes it interesting; raises the stakes." Banzai grinned.

"Is _that_ why you're always putting yourself in painful situations?"

"…Shut up."

"So what's so important for you go so early anyway?" Shenzi asked, turning to me. Unhappy to see her attention forsake him, Banzai frowned and turned back to the game. By some means, Ed was winning…though I had no idea how.

"Father just said we were hosting an important dinner that I feel I should be home for; that's why he wouldn't let me change out of this."

"…So it can wrinkle?" Her funny look is an immense boost to my confidence; amazing how we're on the same level sometimes.

I dismiss myself an hour before sunset, giving me half an hour to head back to the palace. We stroll out Shenzi's home and somehow, there is a faint pinkish haze on the horizon; all four of us stare at it perplexedly. We finally broke our gazes from it, Shenzi's smile bewitching me and she—they all—seem puzzled at the way I suddenly turn away, leaving them with a curt wave as I began to sprint back to the station. I glance back and all three of them are waving back awkwardly, still exchanging befuddled glances. I see a faint wind has picked up and, even from fading distance, I see it jostle Shenzi's hair teasingly.

I turn away and run faster.

* * *

I try to drown out those licentious feelings on the ride home with more wholesome (and logical) ones. They really are like my 2nd family; all three of them looked as happy to see me come and as expectant to see me return upon my leave. …Shenzi is more my…surrogate sister, that's it. As Banzai and Ed are just the chums I never had (I already have a brother you see).

I try not to run as much on the way home once I am dropped off at the station—Father would short a fuse should he spot perspiration stains in my underarms. In addition that is just unflattering on my part as well. I approach the Pridelands with my blazer draped over my shoulder, beginning to don it once I am but a block away from the palace's gates and I stop before my arm is even fully pulled through the sleeve; awestruck.

In the course of hours my home has transformed: from a gasp-inducing, prideful manor to a show-stopping, _glowing_ spectacle. The hedges have been purposely spritzed so they glisten from the underlying lights; numerous figures on fountains on the palace grounds are gushing fine mists; the ivory entrance practically beams as _lines_ of limousines undoubtedly filled with fellow royalty from other kingdoms drive in—and that was merely the _outside, inside_ it is impossibly more beautiful.

I walk in and has father ever prepared a banquet for a king; nevermind the exceedingly long table which stretches from one wall of the room to the other, and the candlelight glowing on the appetizing dishes laid out for the incoming guests (and I see a few of the kingdoms brought princesses as well as their ring of lady friends), just the atrium itself feeds the eye gluttonously. The emblem of Priderock hangs from tapestries everywhere, portraits of the family that weren't here before I left—very few included myself—with silver or gold frames were polished and displayed with pride, and the room is either glowing from the adjusted lights or the ambience itself. Nearly 20 kingdoms must be mingling in here.

I spot Sarafina in the crowd and she looks _stunning_ in a floor length blue gown. Truthfully, she looks more embarrassed. She spots me in turn and gives a shy, inconspicuous wave; knowing very well should others follow her gesture and spot me I will be…well, not that being swamped by various and beautiful women is a bad thing, but I'd rather get myself settled in first. I try to make my way around the mass discreetly in search for my parents—if only to let my Father know I arrived (thinking on that, I can't imagine with the exception of timeliness how that would please him) from a distance. He need not say which son he prefers be associated with him.

I reach the stairway before I make out another familiar face within the gathering. Sarabi, as the betrothee to the future king (and I conjecture with a dim chuckle the possibility that my brother has requested her presence constantly to ward off the…admirers), is dressed significantly different from all the others—a lovely dark crimson dress with a rose-tinged sash around the waist, and a gold pendant with, guess, the gold crest of Priderock around her neck. She doesn't appear as self-conscious as Sarafina, and at the moment she really seems to need her amongst these strangers—I'm almost tempted to march over and rescue her myself, but she does seem significantly false-faced.

Finally, by a godsend, I see exact the pair of royals I have been scouting for, and getting Father's attention I give a quick nod. He diverts his eyes from the guests momentarily—but swiftly—acknowledges me, and gets them back on the crowd around him as fast as possible. Mother stands beside him in a sparkling tiara as he, of course, brandishes the gaudiest crown I have ever seen in my days. I can't seem to find my brother; either he's hiding out from all the hustling princesses or perhaps using the facilities. I glance down at myself and take note of the simple 3-piece suit I wear.

I must admit I feel out of place.


End file.
